When the Chicago Cubs landed Kyle Tucker, it was supposed to be a franchise-altering decision. A four-time all-star, a middle-of-the-order lefty bat, and a guy who can make October baseball inevitable for the Cubs. And truth be told, the first few months were complete bliss, and he did deliver. Tucker slashed. 291/.396/.537 through June. Then, they made another All-Star game. He looked like the superstar Chicago thought they were paying for. But then came the crash- the honeymoon period was over!

Ever since the All-Star break, Kyle Tucker has been in a slump limbo, and it’s the worst stretch for him. Just 26 hits in his 167 plate appearances, and a home run. Yes, one. A ground-ball rate that is north of 53%, too. And fans at Wrigley have started noticing it too, and hence the boos got louder, as he made errors not expected of him.

Hence, manager Craig Counsell decided to pull the plug this week and opted to sit Tucker for a bit. “We’re going to have to take a little step back here,” Counsell said. And as far as Tucker goes, he is making every effort to get back into his old skin. He is trying things he never did in his long career.

The North Side Territory podcast pointed out something Tucker fans would find interesting. They highlight that Tucker has been taking batting practice on the field. “Toronto was the first time we saw him hitting out on the field. That’s breaking news. He’s not usually that guy. …Try anything new to get out of this rut,” was pointed at North Side Territory. Now, for others, this might sound normal, but for Tucker, it is not, given that he has been a cage-only guy. Someone who likes to keep his swing work private. This is hence a clear sign that Tucker is looking for answers and is willing to ditch old habits if it means him breaking the slump.

Now, in all fairness, Tucker did jam his right ring finger back in June. And he did mention that it is all good, but it might have thrown Kyle Tucker’s mechanics out of whack. Pat Murphy, in fact, from the Brewers, said, “I think Tucker is hurt. I don’t have any information, but Tucker’s not the same. He’s hurt, and he’s playing through it. He’s such a classy kid that he probably doesn’t mention it to anyone.” And the numbers back him up, too—his swing has lost that connection, his exit velocities are down, and everything looks a mess.

And the timing could be worse, given Tucker is set to hit free agency after this season. The whispers of a $500 million deal were floated around before. More so after Vladimir Guerrero’s epic deal with the Jays. But now with the slump, it’s all looking like a big task. The Cubs are in a wild-card spot, but if they need to make any substantial noise in October, then they will need Tucker to be Tucker again.

Cubs could have had what the Brewers have!

The Milwaukee Brewers kicked off last season with plenty of questions on their head. Craig Counsell, the face of their dugout for years, shocked the franchise and fans as he left for their division rival, the Chicago Cubs. That alone left Brewers fans feeling cheated, and just when people thought it was enough, another shocker knocked them. Corbin Burnes was shipped to the Baltimore Orioles. So, two massive losses in one off-season. But little did they know what was coming—a blessing in disguise.

The Brewers did not fall apart; they leveled up. Pat Murphy came in to replace Counsell, and the expectations were nil from him for the fans. Yet all he did was take Milwaukee in the right direction. A 93-69 record, a National League Central title, and the honor of NL Manager of the Year. And you fast-forward a year later, and the Brewers are chasing franchise records in wins and are easily one of the best teams in baseball.

They flipped the script, as Pat Murphy is someone holding things together. Even though he is too humble to admit it. But here is the real kicker—he could have joined Counsell in Chicago Cubs. Yes, Murphy mentioned that he thought he would follow his friend to the Chicago Cubs. “Heck yeah, Counsell and I talked about it… He got contacted and took the job. It all happened in a day. People think it was a long, drawn-out process, and it was always in the works. No, it wasn’t. Jed Hoyer followed the thing to a tee. He knew he couldn’t contact Counsell until a certain date, and he didn’t. I obviously got involved in that and had no idea if the Brewers would be interested.”

Well, imagine if Bowers lost him too! But it does make you wonder, did the Cubs lose out on a real prize? Because right now the Brewers have what the Cubs thought they were buying into—a manager who can turn a lineup full of question marks into a powerhouse.